U.S. Department of Justice seeking Applications for National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI)

Deadline: 27 April 2020

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding to address the issue and impact of unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) at law enforcement agencies.

This program supports the Department of Justice’s mission by improving:

State and local jurisdictions’ capacities to respond to violent crime and;
The functioning of the criminal justice system through the investigation and prosecution of cases resulting from SAK evidence and the collection of lawfully owed DNA.

Funding under this solicitation is intended to help law enforcement and prosecutors address all of the challenges associated with unsubmitted SAKs in order to reduce the number of unsubmitted SAKs in their jurisdictions. This will give them the evidence and tools to solve and reduce violent crimes associated with sexual assault, while achieving the long-term goal of improving the criminal justice response to sexual assault.

Purpose Areas

Area 1: Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits.
Area 2: SAKI for Small Agencies (including rural and tribal agencies).
Area 3: Expansion of DNA Databases to Assist with Sexual Assault Investigations and Prosecutions: Collection of Lawfully Owed DNA from Convicted Offenders and Arrestee DNA Collections;
Area 4: Investigation and Prosecution of Cold Case Sexual Assaults.

Funding Information

BJA expects to make:

Up to 12 awards of up to $2,500,000 each under Purpose Area 1;
Up to 4 awards of up to $500,000 each for Purpose Area 2;
Up to 4 awards of up to $1,000,000 each under Purpose Area 3;
Up to 8 awards of up to $1,000,000 under Purpose Area 4;
The total estimated amount awarded is up to $44,000,000. BJA expects to make awards for a 3-year period of performance to begin on October 1, 2020.

Eligibility Criteria

The following entities are eligible to apply for Purpose Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4:
- State law enforcement agencies;
- Units of local government;
- Federally recognized Indian tribal governments;
- Governmental non-law enforcement agencies acting as their fiscal agents;
- Prosecutor’s offices.
The following entities are elibliy to apply for For Purpose Area 2:
- Small law enforcement agencies or consortia of small law enforcement agencies
Metropolitan statistical areas and divsions may be considered. However, priority will be given to rural and tribal law enforcement agencies (especially those who are not currently receiving assistance under an existing state-wide or county-wide SAKI grant held by another agency).
An applicant that previously received an award under the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) is eligible to apply for funding under all purpose areas in this solicitation; however, the applicant must:
- Clearly justify the need for additional funding support and detail how additional funding will enhance or expand its ability to address issues associated with unsubmitted SAKs in its jurisdiction.
- Summarize progress and deliverables achieved under its current SAKI grant to date.
- Include in its application the plan and budget to complete an expanded inventory to include partially tested SAKs, if this has not already been done.